My 1001 Albums Journey

Albums Rated

2.96

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996 albums remaining

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2010

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5-Star Albums

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Albums

You Love More Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Bitches Brew Miles Davis	5	3.3	+1.7
Fear Of Music Talking Heads	5	3.47	+1.53
Unknown Pleasures Joy Division	5	3.47	+1.53
Talking Heads 77 Talking Heads	5	3.56	+1.44
To Pimp A Butterfly Kendrick Lamar	5	3.62	+1.38
Born In The U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen	5	3.7	+1.3
Live At The Harlem Square Club Sam Cooke	5	3.76	+1.24
Ten Pearl Jam	5	3.91	+1.09
Cosmo's Factory Creedence Clearwater Revival	5	3.91	+1.09
Superfuzz Bigmuff Mudhoney	4	2.93	+1.07

You Love Less Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols Sex Pistols	1	3.45	-2.45
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs Derek & The Dominos	1	3.39	-2.39
Debut Björk	1	3.37	-2.37
Achtung Baby U2	1	3.3	-2.3
Dear Science TV On The Radio	1	3.16	-2.16
Vespertine Björk	1	3.16	-2.16
Tubular Bells Mike Oldfield	1	3.09	-2.09
Life's Too Good The Sugarcubes	1	3.07	-2.07
Rings Around The World Super Furry Animals	1	2.97	-1.97
Pelican West Haircut 100	1	2.97	-1.97

Artists

Favorites

Artist	Albums	Average
Talking Heads	2	5

Least Favorites

Artist	Albums	Average
Björk	2	1

5-Star Albums (10)

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Popular Reviews

Live At The Harlem Square Club

Sam Cooke · 1 likes

5/5

There’s a bitersweetness that comes with this record. Mostly based on the fact that none of us were there to witness this in person, and that a year later we’d lose the King of Soul forever. Anyone who knows me, knows I adore Sam Cook, he’s the greatest vocalist ever for me, but weirdly I’d never come across his live stuff until now. This just strengthens those claims, for 39 minutes the man doesn’t miss a note and has the audience, and us the listener in the palm of his hand. Absolutely nuts record.

Vespertine

Björk · 1 likes

1/5

I simply won’t listen to Bjork. She’s fucking awful.

1-Star Albums (13)

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols

All Ratings

Cut

The Slits

2/5

Not really my bag. Not sure I’d go out my way to listen again.

Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs

Derek & The Dominos

1/5

I fucking hate Eric Clapton for obvious, non-music related reasons. But now I can add music to it cause this is boring as fuck (title track aside). Over an hour of the same dull guitar riffs and solos in between songs that can hardly be described as “the blues”, fuck this

Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

4/5

The godfather of grunge. Great album.

Fear Of Music

Talking Heads

5/5

Not my favourite Talking Hesds record, but then they’ve never put out anything less than an 8/10 so that’s not a bad thing. One of the best bands ever, could happily listen to their back catalogue and nothing else for the rest of time.

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

4/5

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

4/5

Listen, I like Neil Young lots, and this is a record I hadn’t heard before and I really liked it, but I’ve been doing this for six days and I’ve had three Neil Young records already. I’m begging for some variety here.

Phaedra

Tangerine Dream

3/5

Could only find the title track on Apple Music, but I fuck with it big time. Kind of shit you’d hear in a planetarium or on the Space Odyssey soundtrack Bet dropping a tab and listening to this would go so hard

There's A Riot Goin' On

Sly & The Family Stone

2/5

Funk is the one genre I’ve never really been able to get into, try as I might. There are some very good songs on here (Family Affair especially.) and I can definitely appreciate the lyrics and craftmanship but I’m not sure it’s something I’d rush back to. Separately though, that album cover art is ridiculously good.

The World is a Ghetto

War

3/5

Preferred this funk to yesterday’s funk. Decent enough record.

Adele

4/5

I love Adele man, absolute national treasure and one of the greatest British voices ever. Weirdly I’ve never listened to an album in full, though it’s hard to escape her on the radio, perhaps it gets a bit repetitive but when the voice is that strong it doesn’t really matter to me. Also, Hello is one of the strongest album openers I’ve ever heard.

Exodus

Bob Marley & The Wailers

4/5

Not much to say beyond this being Bob Marley’s Magnum Opus. Excellent record!

Debut

Björk

1/5

Can’t stand Bjork. Never got the hype, never will. Terrible record, next.

Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby

Terence Trent D'Arby

2/5

Meh. Very indifferent, sounds like any other late 80s/esrly 90s R&B record.

Life's Too Good

The Sugarcubes

1/5

NO MORE BJORK PLEASE

Black Monk Time

The Monks

2/5

Had to go via YouTube and sound quality wasn’t great, but I can dig it.

Ten

Pearl Jam

5/5

It doesn’t get Eddie Vedder than this!

Your New Favourite Band

The Hives

3/5

I liked it. Would listen again, but also it’s not going to be in my rotations consistently. Perhaps gets a bit same-y quite quickly.

Trout Mask Replica

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

1/5

Can’t convince me anyone genuinely enjoys this shite.

KIWANUKA

Michael Kiwanuka

3/5

Decent enough. Would listen again.

Different Class

Pulp

4/5

For me, this is the defining Britpop album.

Deep Purple In Rock

Deep Purple

3/5

Of all the albums I’ve listened to so far on this 1001 adventure, this has by far has the best opening.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel

4/5

Kinda funny how you can sometimes when you know it’s an artist/group’s final record, you can hear it in the music can’t you? Bridge Over Troubled Water is certainly one of those. Having looked at other reviews I think I’m in the minority who don’t see this as S&G’s best album (Sounds of Silence or Wednesday Morning, 3AM for me.) but still, it’s a fantastic effort, and I’d expect no less given the talents of the duo, and in The Boxer has one of my favourite songs ever within it. One thing I’ve always thought funny was that it must be one of the only records where the title track is one of the weakest songs on the record.

A Hard Day's Night

Beatles

3/5

First Beatles album to come up. I can absolutely appreciate the greatness and legacy of The Beatles but I’ve never been the biggest fan personally. Can see why this was/is so highly regarded but it’s also a bit sickly and also very samey. Any Time At All is great though, probably the best on this record.

Fever To Tell

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

4/5

It’s worth a four solely for Maps.

Who's Next

The Who

2/5

Baba O’Reilly aside this is proof that you can rehash the same chord progressions over and over and make a record that your lambretta riding uncle will play on repeat to relive his glory days of going to Brighton desperately trying to revive a long since dead scene. Very tedious record.

Mothership Connection

Parliament

2/5

I just don’t like funk. Nothing against the record, it’s just the genre as a whole ain’t for me.

Court And Spark

Joni Mitchell

3/5

It just sort of goes on really doesn’t it? Not Joni’s finest work. Some really good instrumentals at times though.

Justified

Justin Timberlake

3/5

Too many sneering reviews getting high and mighty about this record. Don’t take it seriously, it’s a decent enough pop record with some bangers on it, perhaps a bit longer than it needs to be, but by no means terrible.

Born In The U.S.A.

Bruce Springsteen

5/5

Bruce will always get 5 stars from me, he’s my fucking idol. Think this has come at a good time as I recently watched Deliver Me From Nowhere, and hearing the pomp of B.I.T.USA after Nebraska hits differently now. It’s also an excellent social commentary of Regan’s America. Not my favourite Bruce record, but again, he’s never made a bad record to me. Highlights are “I’m on Fire”, “Bobby Jean” and “My Hometown”. BRUUUUUUUUCE!!

Cosmo's Factory

Creedence Clearwater Revival

5/5

I’m relatively late to CCR but my word, what a band. Cosmo’s factory is them at their swamp Rock best. That back to back combo of “Run Through the Jungle” straight into “Up Around the Bend” is perfection. Also, funnily enough this is there the second record I’ve listened to that’s had a “I heard it through the grapevine” cover on it.

The Trinity Session

Cowboy Junkies

2/5

Just a bit dull really.

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols

1/5

You can tell a lot about someone’s knowledge of punk by how highly they rate this (it’s fucking shite)

It's Too Late to Stop Now

Van Morrison

2/5

Ehh. I very much have to be in the mood for Van Morrison, today was not one of those days.

1984

Van Halen

3/5

EVH is easily one of the greatest to ever pick up the guitar, ridiculously talented. Also Panama always reminds me of Superbad, so extra marks for that.

Live At The Harlem Square Club

Sam Cooke

5/5

Revolver

Beatles

3/5

Here, There and Everywhere is probably my favourite Beatles song, so that’s something at least.

At Folsom Prison

Johnny Cash

5/5

Imagine waking up in your cell one day and getting to see Johnny fucking Cash, what kind of “punishment” is that supposed to be

Green

R.E.M.

4/5

This album started what I think might be the greatest three album run any band has had. The whole band is so dialled in here, Stipe sounds electric and Mills bass lines especially are punchy as hell. Very very good.

Dear Science

TV On The Radio

1/5

No idea how this made it onto the 1001 list. Biting, generic and outdated 00’s indie.

Berlin

Lou Reed

2/5

Weirdly I’ve never listened to Lou Reed/The Velvet Underground so for this to be my first foray feels as though I can’t fairly rate as I know from reading that it wasn’t his “best”. I love the concept though, and think in the future I’ll definitely revisit it with perhaps a better understanding of Reed’s catalogue.

Rings Around The World

Super Furry Animals

1/5

Got boring very quickly.

Live At The Regal

B.B. King

4/5

The blues, when the blues was exciting and had emotion. Loved this.

Juju

Siouxsie And The Banshees

4/5

Always have time for a S&TB record.

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis

5/5

I can understand why it’s not for everyone, and it’s definitely unconventional when compared to Davi’s’ earlier work, but my goodness does it work. BB is an unprecedented work of art that transformed Jazz forever and cemented Miles Davis legacy as one of the all time greats.

Blunderbuss

Jack White

4/5

The older I get the more I appreciate Jack White’s music. This was great.

White Denim

4/5

This was a nice surprise. Never heard of White Denim but enjoyed this a lot, decent amount of variety from track to track and a refreshing sound for 10’s indie.

Scum

Napalm Death

3/5

Who doesn’t love a bit of grindcore on a December morning? In all seriousness though, cool how you can hear the change in band dynamic half way through with the change of members.

The Libertines

3/5

This was one of my favourite albums 15 years ago when I was big in my indie phase and thought my music taste was vastly superior to everyone else’s. It’s still decent to revisit, but it’s nowhere near as seminal and amazing as I once thought.

Ágætis Byrjun

Sigur Rós

3/5

Talk Talk Talk

The Psychedelic Furs

2/5

The Gershwin Songbook

Ella Fitzgerald

3/5

Voice like velvet.

Country Life

Roxy Music

2/5

Boobs lmao

Roxy Music

2/5

Two Roxy Music albums in two days is too much Roxy Music, please stop it.

Parallel Lines

Blondie

3/5

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

4/5

Music for the Masses

Depeche Mode

4/5

Oar

Alexander 'Skip' Spence

2/5

Superfuzz Bigmuff

Mudhoney

4/5

Some super fuzzy grunge. Nice.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Beatles

3/5

One of the better Beatles albums.

Bookends

Simon & Garfunkel

3/5

Sign 'O' The Times

Prince

3/5

Rumours

Fleetwood Mac

4/5

I spent 2021 attempting to learn “Never Going Back Again” on guitar and nearly broke my fingers. Anyway, it’s a very good album. But I don’t believe it to be one of the greatest of all time as the ratings on this list would have you think.

World Clique

Deee-Lite

1/5

This was absolutely not one of the 1001 albums I needed to listen to before I died.

Ramones

3/5

The Scream

Siouxsie And The Banshees

3/5

Foo Fighters

4/5

Vespertine

Björk

1/5

I simply won’t listen to Bjork. She’s fucking awful.

To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick Lamar

5/5

I am the furthest thing from a Hip Hop head, but to say TOAB isn’t anything but a cultural landmark is insanely disingenuous. You don’t have to be rap fan to see that this is one of the best works of the 21st century, released at a time when America stood on a dangerous precipice (which it unfortunately dived head first into.) In the ten years since it was first released this has aged like a fine wine, with Kendrick’s social commentaries feeling as relevant now as they did then. Musically, the seamless fusing of funk, jazz and soul elements into Kendrick’s verses are some of the smoothest production work I’ve heard. I’ve got a lot of albums I consider a ten through personal biases, but this is genuinely a perfect album.

American Idiot

Green Day

4/5

Get Behind Me Satan

The White Stripes

3/5

Duck Stab/Buster & Glen

The Residents

1/5

Fucking hell that was ass

Eagles

3/5

It’s nothing groundbreaking but it’s good enough to not get bored. That said, Peaceful Easy Feeling remains one of my favourite songs ever.

Pelican West

Haircut 100

1/5

Again, this is not an album I needed to listen to before I die.

Penthouse And Pavement

Heaven 17

2/5

Enough of the generic British new wave.

OK Computer

Radiohead

3/5

Maintain that Radiohead are just Coldplay for pretentious people.

The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

Charles Mingus

4/5

Deja Vu

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

4/5

Great stuff. Love the harmonies.

Paul's Boutique

Beastie Boys

3/5

Talking With the Taxman About Poetry

Billy Bragg

2/5

Meh, lost a lot of respect for Billy Bragg when he voted Lib Dem in 2010 and it tarnished the message of his music as a result.

Elvis Presley

3/5

It’s the same song again’

Franz Ferdinand

3/5

Decent enough, not Indie Landfill which is always a decent yardstick for anything of this sort from the 00s.

The Low End Theory

A Tribe Called Quest

3/5

Tubular Bells

Mike Oldfield

1/5

Boringggg

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Wilco

2/5

White Ladder

David Gray

2/5

If ever an album perfectly encapsulated the turn of the millennia, this is it.

Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

Soft Cell

2/5

3 Feet High and Rising

De La Soul

3/5

Unknown Pleasures

Joy Division

5/5

My dad grew up in Manchester in the 1970s, and from how he describes it, Unknown Pleasures perfectly encapsulates it. I think Martin Hannett’s production might genuinely be the greatest production work ever on a record. The ability to make such a gloomy, atmospheric record sound so stripped back is so impressive to me. I think, in spite of the popularity of this record (and of course Love Will Tear Us Apart), Joy Division are often overlooked in terms of Mancunian bands, and yet, alongside The Smiths, I think they’re the ones who’s sound has the biggest legacy. Unknown Pleasures truly was the post-punk blueprint, whilst metal bands like Sabbath may have come before them, Joy Division pioneered a different type of dark sound that paved the way for so many more artists across a multitude of genres to explore the deepest, darkest depths of their work, and for that, this moody motherfucker will be forever grateful.

Achtung Baby

1/5

Fuck this and fuck Bono. Cunt.

At Newport 1960

Muddy Waters

3/5

Talking Heads 77

Talking Heads

5/5

David Byrne’s discussions around his neurodivergence being a blessing for his music are always so apparent when you put a Talking Heads record on. He’s such a genius.

Space Ritual

Hawkwind

3/5

Bongo Rock

Incredible Bongo Band

2/5

I got a fever, and the only prescription is more BONGOS